Sam Byram set to give West Ham boost with return for U23s

West Ham United are set to receive a boost with defender Sam Byram poised to return for the club's U23 side against Leicester City tonight.

Byram has been out since October with a thigh problem but has built up his sharpness and is now eager to get back playing again, with the £3.7million signing (Daily Mail) hoping to make up for lost time.

As reported by the club's official website, Byram is set to play some part in the game against Leicester at the Chigwell Construction Stadium.

Although Byram made three appearances for West Ham in the EFL Cup this season, he has yet to feature in the Premier League.

However, once he is back to full sharpness the 24-year-old will be determined to prove that he should be involved in some capacity for David Moyes' side.

At the age of 32, Pablo Zabaleta is no longer the consistent performer that he was at Manchester City, and there could well be an opportunity for Byram to stake a claim for regular involvement in the starting lineup.

Byram is still rather raw and must prove to Moyes in training that he is ready to make the step up, but if he impresses in the U23s and doesn't suffer any injury setbacks then it will be the initial step towards the defender getting closer to achieving his aim of being West Ham's first-choice right-back.